Hinged sectional ironing board



1952 A. P. LANTZ HINGED SECTIONAL IRONING BOARD 2 SHEETS SI-IEET 1Original Filed Feb. 6, 1947 gwue/wtoq, ALPIHA PERRY LANTZ Nov. 11, 1952LANTZ 2,617,214

' HINGED SECTIONAL IRONING BOARD Original Filed Feb. 6, 1947 FIG. 3.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 2| \i 24 36 L r,

3'2 27 34 v gwucmim;

ALPHA PERRYLANTZ Patented Nov. 11, 1952 2,617,214 HIN GED SECTIONALIRONIN G BOARD Alpha Perry Lantz, Washington, D. 0. Original applicationFebruary 6, 1947, Serial No.

1948, Serial No. 22,285

3 Claims. 1 This application is a division of application Serial No.726,888, filed February 6, 1947, now Patent No. 2,542,037.

This application relates to an improved hinged sectional ironin board ofthe type adapted to be folded into compact form rendering the sameeasily portable as in a suitcase or conveniently carried package.

The invention is designed to supply a common need of people travelingfrom place to place and stopping at hotels or apartments where ironingboards are not usually at hand, in meeting emergent. or desired uses, itis simply necessary for one to unfold his own board, accompanying hispackage, and attach it to a convenient means, as the usual dresserdrawer, in a position for ironmg. i

In an ironing board of the character referred to the sections of theboard are rendered self supporting, so to speak, that is, capable ofperforming their functions when extended and tempooarily mounted at theinner end of the inner section of the board upon an opened drawer or thelike, rendering it unnecessary to provide props or legs for the outer orfree end section of the board, and leaving the boar-d entirelyunobstructed throughout for the slipping of garments thereover andtherearound in the manipulation of the latter when ironing the same.

Two primary objects underlie the preferred embodiment of the invention,one being the special and novel formation of the hinging meansconnecting the foldable sections of the board, enabling one section tobe folded flat upon the other while affording no projecting elementsabove the plane of the top of the board when open to ironing position sothat a continuous smooth top surface of the board may be mounted; andthe other being the special and novel attaching means for connectionwith a dresser drawer and the like to support the drawer when inunfolded or'ironing position, in a substan tially level position, thelatter means comprising hook-s and shanks of minimum thickness, butsufficient strength, and means associated therewithfor adjusting thehooks and shanks to accord with conditions found in the dresser or thelike the adjusting means being located substantially within the area ofthe bottom of the inner section of the board to offer no substantialobstructions or projections below the plane of the bottom of the boardthat might interfere with the arrangement of the board when rested uponthe top of the front of the dresser when the board is hooked into thedresser or the like, as

Divided and this application April 21,

by engagement behind the bridge piece, always present in a dresser orthe like, and spanning the drawer opening.

In the said preferred embodiment of the invention will be foundimportant and advantageous details of construction and arrangement, allof which will be readily understood from the specific descriptionhereinafter contained when read in connection with the accompanyingdrawings forming part hereof and wherein said preferred embodiment, andothers, are illustrated.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a top view of the complete ironing board in unfolded orironing position.

Figure 2 is a bottom view of the same, detail parts being showndiagrammatically but completely illustrated in other figures.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view of the abutting ends of the hingedsections of Figure 1, enlarged, to illustrate one of the hinge members,it being understood that the hinge members are alike.

Figure 4 is an end view of the same. Figure 5 is a vertical longitudinalsectional view on the line 55 of Figure 3..

Figure 6 is an end view of one of the abutting ends of Figure 3, partsof the hinged members being shown in section.

Figure '7 is an edge view of Figure 6, parts being broken away to showthe inner construction of the abutting ends of the board.

Figure 8 is a vertical sectional view through abutting end portions ofthe board, the one section of the board being folded onto the other.

Figure 9 is a bottom view of Figure 3.

Figures 10 and 11 are respectively a cross section and a detached viewillustrating a modified formation of hinge member.

Referring more specific-ally to th drawings 20 indicates the outersection and 2| the inner section of the hinged section-a1 board, of ashape so that when the sections are unfolded, as in Figure 1, the samewill be contoured in resemblance to a conventional ironing board. Thesesection-s are composed of suitable material, light in weight and strongand rigid in character, preferably wood, but in instances metal such-asaluminum, or plastics may be utilized.

In fulfilling the purposes or objects of themesent invention, it isdesirable that the outer sec tion 20 may be folded over and upon the topof the inner section 2! and to better enable this to be done it will beobserved that the thickness of these sections. be of substantial depthfor three purposes (see Figure 5).

important that the outer section 20 be self-sus- First of all it ishighly taining, that is, devoid of any such additional elements as legsor props to which end the abutting edges 22 extend well below the upperhinged edges 23 thereof to assist in relieving the strain on the hingesincident to downward pressure, in ironing, on the outer section 20; thatthe hinges be so arranged that the folding of the outer sec tion 28 maybe downwardly onto the inner section 2! without any interference in themovement of portions thereof to the complete folding of the sections;and also that the hinging be of a form to occupy a position completelybelow the plane of the surfaces of the board, when the sections thereofare extended for ironing, so that the combined ironing surfaces of theboard will be in the same plane throughout and smooth, to avoidprojecting parts above the surface of the board that would obstruct orinterrupt the movement of an ironing implement over the ironing face ofthe board. Therefore, the upper adjacent corners of the meeting edges ofthe board are formed with recesses 24' of substantial length (Figure 3)at each side of the board in which metal hinge links 25 are located, andparallel arms 25 of the links passing through tubular keepers 2'! formedby folding flat sheet metal bent upon itself (Figure and securing theoverlying plates 28 and 29 thereof in complemental relatively shallowrecess portions 30, in the upper faces of the board sections, so as tobe flush and continuous with the ironing faces 31 of said sections. Theplates 28 and flanges 29 being conveniently fastened through the body ofthe sections and through a reinforcing plate 32, similarly embedded inthe bottom surfaces of the sections, by rivets 33. This arrangement andformation of hinging will permit the board sections, when extended, tobe perfectly flat throughout their ironing face, will strongly supportthe outer section through the immediate hinge construction braced forconsiderable depth below the hinge by the contacting portions of themeeting faces of the sections below the hinge (Figure 5), and willpermit the outer section to be folded fiat onto the surface of the innersection without interference or obstruction (Figure 4).

To further strengthen the meeting ends of the sections 29 and 2!, thelower plates 32' each carryprojecting parts 34, adapted to underlie theopposite plate when the sections are opened to ironing position (Figures2', 5 and 9), and preferably the metal of the plates 32 is carriedupwardly and around the side. edges of the sections and 2| as shown, at3-5 to the top plates '29 and formed as parts thereof, and inwardly asat 35 to overlie or embed in the meeting ends of the sections 23 and 2|.The wooden, or other "portions of the material of the sections is thuspreserved against breaking, chipping or cracking under the changes orWeight of throwing the outer section 20 to open position which may attimes occur in careless or indifferent setting up and use of the board.

In folding the outer section 20 of the board over onto the section 2-!thereof, it will be seen that as th section 29 is swung upwardly it willbe at the same time raised with reference to the section 2| through themedium of the hinge links and the upper adjacent corners of the boardsections cannot interfere with each other during the folding movement ofthe board. Instead of having the hinge member 25 in the form of acomplete loop, as illustrated in Figure 3, the same may be of theformation illustrated in Figures lO-and 11 wherein it will, be seen thatthe sub- 4 stitute for the link is formed of a U-shaped member 31adapted to have its arms 38 each received into the bearing portion of akeeper 39, the securing flanges of the latter being indicated at 49 and41 after the fashion of the equivalent construction illustrated inFigure 5.

The arms of the U-shaped member 37 are grooved as at 42 and the bearingportion of the keeper 38, in this instance, indented or depressed as at43 to permit the hinge member 21 to have freedom of rotative movementwhile at the same time being held against endwise displacement of thearms 38 from the keepers 39.

It will, of course, be appreciated that a suitable means for attachingthe ironing board to a convenient piece of furniture, when desired foruse, may be associated with the inner section of the ironing board, asfully disclosed and claimed in the parent application Serial No.726,888, but inasmuch as the claims to this feature are retained in theparent case and no claim thereto is made herein, the illustrationshereof are confined to the divisible matter constituting the subject ofthis divisional case.

I claim:

1. In combination with a folding ironing board comprising inner andouter sections having abutting ends, with each section having a recessin its top surface communicating with a more deeply channeled portion atits respective abutting end, hinge means pivotally connecting saidsections together and comprising a pair of hinge leaves, each leafformed from a sheet of metal bent upon itself to provide superimposedmetal plates and a pivot receiving sleeve connecting the said plates,said sleeve being flush with the top plate and depending below the planeof the lower plate, and a pivotal link having a pair of connected armportions each of which is received in a respective sleeve, the hingeleaf being attached to the board sections and seated within the firstmentioned recess with the depending pivot receiving sleeve seated in themore deeply channeled portion; and means attached to the board sectionsbeneath the hinges to maintain the same in open position.

2. In combination with a folding ironing board comprising inner andouter sections having abutting ends, with each section having a recessin its top surface communicating with a more deeply channeled portion atits respective abutting end, hinge means pivotally connecting saidsections together and comprising a pair of binge leaves, each leafformed from a sheet of metal bent upon itself to provide superimposedmetal plates and a pivot receiving sleeve connecting the said plates,said sleeve being flush with the top plate and depending below the planeof the lower plate, and a pivotal link having a pair of connected armportions each of which is received in a respective sleeve, the hingeleaf being attached to the. board sections and seated Within the firstmentioned recess with the depending pivot receiving sleeves seated inthe more deeply channeled portion; and means attached to the boardsections beneath the hinges to maintain the same in open position, saidmeans comprising a plate member attached to the bottom surface oftheone'board member and having an extended portion beneath the otherboard member.

3. In combination with a folding ironing board comprising inner andouter sections having abutting ends, with each section having a recessin its top surface communicating with a more deep- 1y channeled portionat its respective abutting end, hinge means pivotally connecting saidsections together and comprising a pair of hinge leaves, each leafformed from a sheet of metal bent upon itself to provide superimposedmetal plates and a pivot receiving sleeve connecting the said plates,said sleeve being flush with the top plate and depending below the planeof the lower plate, and a pivotal link having a pair of connected armportions each of which is received in a respective sleeve, the hingeleaf being attached to the board sections and seated within the firstmentioned recess with the depending pivot receiving sleeve seated in themore deeply channeled portion, and means attached to the board sectionsbeneath the hinges to maintain the same in open position, said meanscomprising a plate member attached to the bottom surface of the oneboard member and having an extended por- 6 tion beneath the other boardmember, and a side portion extension of the plate member bent inwardlytherefrom and engaging the abutting ends of the sections, said sideportion extension being 5 flush with the abutting ends of said sections.

ALPHA PERRY LANTZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 10 fileof this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

